


Raindrops on Roses

by saxophonesandcuesticks



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Baggage, F/M, Hurt No Comfort, Not Canon Compliant, Pre-War, References to Depression, Unresolved Emotional Tension, and also ur feelings, but shhhhh, in this house we say fuck canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 08:16:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20079040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saxophonesandcuesticks/pseuds/saxophonesandcuesticks
Summary: The past few months have been a huge, emotionally painful blur for Nick Valentine, and he's so close to breaking the Winters code. He's just at a roadblock. Maybe a certain gal can help him out? Or will his own head keep him from getting answers as well as closure?





	Raindrops on Roses

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, i broke canon. No, i dont care. 
> 
> This story also will not stay in the pre-war timeline. It will go to the post-nuclear timeline as well, following Nick's POV. I plan on having some fun and elaborating on the "missing bits" up till Marie finds him again in 114.

The gentle pitter-patter of late night rain on the window of his apartment couldn't keep Nick out of his thoughts. He was a Private Eye only working with the cops because Jenny had been taken from him so suddenly by fucking Winters not even two years ago. He was sure he was close to cracking the code, but the boys in blue wouldn't let him anywhere near the goddamn tapes.

He was depressed, furious, and ready to just take them out of evidence lockup of each police station all over boston. He'd spent months pouring over the notes he had, even called in a few favors over at CIT.

The man was damn close, and after roadblock after roadblock, he almost had it, he just needed those infernal tapes. If only they-

_ Knock, knock, knock. _

Initially, he jumped. But, only one person knew his personal address, and that was the District Attorney's intern, Marie Carthrop. Sweetest gal, helped him out a lot after Jenny got shot. More than the damn therapist did, that's for damn sure. She'd been damn adamant on helping him pick up the pieces, and he'd never admit it, but he was grateful for her bright determination.

"Nicky? You alright? It's...been a few days since anyone has seen ya, an' I've been a li'l worried..." Fiercest woman he'd ever met in the court, but she was too soft, too sweet outside of it. She shouldn't be near anyone like him. His stupidity lost Jenny, he wouldn't be responsible for the loss of a bright light like her. 

"I'm  _ fine _ ." He snapped, and he could damn near feel her spirit deflate a bit with the harsh word, and he felt bad, but..... He couldn't risk her. No matter how his heart was aching him to go to the door and let her in. If anything were to happen to her, he'd absolutely never forgive himself.

He'd briefly been back in his thoughts when her next words shocked him, "No you're not Nicky. Now let me in 'fore I knock down this door myself." She'd steeled her resolve, and he smirked. There's the spitfire he recognized from the courtroom.

"Ree, I can assure you, it's fine. Go-"

" _ Nicky _ ......" She warned, sounding like she was preparing to break his door down, light taps finding the weak spots to make it easier.

"Alright, alright. Can't afford to replace it anyhow." He huffed, walking away from his desk to open it for her. It opened, and she snuck a cheek smooch as a thank you. Which had him blushing lightly. Her southern heritage had her a bit more open with acts of platonic, friendly love with her close friends (though the cheek kiss didn't  _ feel  _ platonic, but that's something else entirely). "Got me turnin' red here 'Ree." He grumbled, tilting his hat over his face to hide it, but the blush was only made worse by a sultry, playful giggle from the soft-bodied gal. 

"I woulda broken it down too y'know."

"Oh I'm well aware doll." He grumbled, though there was no ill-tone. Nick would never admit it out loud, but he secretly loved when she just dropped by for no reason other than to check on him, make sure he was eating, getting enough sleep, that sort of thing. And now that she was standing in front of him, he got a good view of her dress, a simple, classy, black halter-dress with a white belt and two-tone heels. Coupled with her brunette hair and cherry red lipstick, she looked straight up like something out of an old noir novel. Like the usual damsel that comes in to have her case solved by him, but ends up stealing his heart instead (which, she already had).

"Nicky, you hungry?" The question shook him out of his head to gaze into her different eyes, almost lost in them. "Er, I guess I am? Hard to tell when I am nowadays."

"Well, put on your coat."

"What?"

She laughed, "Put. On. Your. Coat."

Nick was still confused, "For a brilliant detective, you sure are a doofus. To put it simply, I'm taking you out. Get you out of the apartment for a bit. Give your brain a break from all the stewin' and ponderin' it's been doin'."

"'Ree, you don't gotta-" he began, but she cut him off with an ' _ I dare you to try and argue _ ' look.

"Nope. I ain't gonna hear it. Put your coat on, or I'll do it for you." Marie hummed in a low tone, smirking and raising a brow at him.

Ooh, that sparked an interest, ' _ I'd love to see her try. I'd turn those tables so fast I- _ ' he stopped his train of thought  _ right there _ . He had to stop it or else he'd be acting on thoughts that would get him close to her, and she could end up hurt or worse. Nick would have to settle for just keeping her as his pillar of strength, of light, helping himself stay together without falling apart.

"Alrighty doll, you win." He chuckled, putting on his coat, shoes, hat, and straightening his tie. She made a noise of satisfaction, her eyes watching his every move, and inadvertently causing his body temperature to rise as impure thoughts flashed through his head- No. He couldn't, shouldn't. Not at the risk of his only support since......since.....

The gumshoe shook his head and stood, "Somethin' on your mind Nicky?" She asked, cocking her head to the side, curious and mildly concerned.

"Nah," he smiled, "Thinkin' about where we might go to eat. Or is it a surprise for me?" Nick lied, and she caught on, but said nothing about that. Marie simply responded with, "Well darlin', you could say it's on a need-to-know basis, an' you don't need to know." The tone in her voice was matter-of-fact, but it was juxtaposed by the playfulness behind it. The gal was messing with him, and he knew it.

Nick gave her a toothy grin, "Really now? Going all "Lady of the Law" on me are we?"

"Y'know Mister Valentine, if you're gonna press the questions, might need a warrant of search~" Gal knew better than her words implied, but they were playing through their banter.

"If a gal as pretty as you is acting suspicious, I can ask as I damn well please." He smirked, crossing his arms, the unresolved tension in the air thickening.

The next items happened in a slow motion blur for both of them.

She stepped closer, her eyes flicking back and forth between his eyes and lips as she bit her bottom lip. Hands slid up to the lapels of his coat and she grabbed them, pulling him down for a searing kiss.

It startled him, but within the moment he was pushing into her soft lips, a growl-like noise rumbling his throat. His own hands flew to her wide hips, grabbing her and pulling her close as he could to his body, never wanting to let her go.

The voice in the back of his head was quiet.

Tongues intertwined, Marie moaned, high and needy, fingers tangling in Nick's soft hair. And that noise did things to his body. He moved his hands to grab at her generous ass, and he pulled her up, causing her to not only wrap her legs around his sturdy middle, but she pulled away from the kiss with a surprised gasp. Nick backed her up against the wall, getting a good look at her flushed face; lipstick smeared across her cheeks (no doubt on him as well), lips swollen, and her eyes half lidded and heated.

"You're a damn fine picture 'Ree. A damn fine picture indeed." His voice came out deep and husky as his mouth found its way to her neck, pulling a groan from her. "Ain't you just a charmer," she gasped as he then sucked on a pulse point, lavishing the area with teeth and tongue.

The moment her hips bucked against his cock, the hot, heated fog in his mind faded, and he stopped. 

"Nicky?" Her voice was much softer, shier, and worried.

"I can't............I can't do this........" He put her down, looking at the floor, turning his back to her.

She reached out with a gentle hand, placing it on his shoulder, "Nicky, talk to me......"

Nick shrugged it off with a jerky motion, anger at himself drowning everything out, "I just fucking can't 'Ree. I didn't deserve Jenny, and I don't deserve you. You need someone better than me." He was snippy, but she didn't leave, not immediately anyway. She reached out again, but he whipped around and she jerked back like she'd been burned.

"You need to leave Marie." His tone and body language cold with fury at not just her for not listening, but mainly at himself.

"Nicky, I'm here and always will be if you wanna talk. Something is on your mind and you should talk abou-"

"DON'T YOU GET IT? I DON'T WANNA FUCKING TALK MARIE. I DON'T WANT YOU HERE, NOT ANYMORE." There it was, bubbling over the surface.

"I've done nothing but help you put yourself back together for months since she was murdered Nick. And in that time I found myself falling for you again, but I knew that you were still stuck up in the case and depressed, so I've said nothing. But I've always been here if you needed me, you're just to bull-headed to see that. I thought that you liked me back, so I acted on the thoughts I've had. But instead of saying no outright, you kissed back and led me on." Her voice snapped ad him as she grabbed her things, getting ready to walk out. To leave him.

His eyes widened as Marie spoke, she really....... After all this time........"Ree....I-"

"Oh no Nick. Don't say anything. More than enough has been said already. I'm leaving, just like you asked." She sounded strained, like she was about to cry, but holding it back.

And with the slam of his apartment door, she left. Reality crashed in and he slid down to the floor, sobbing his eyes out.

She was gone, he was broken. And that realization hurt way more than he cared to admit. Marie was his current force, keeping him in check, and he stupidly, stupidly sent her away. This whole mess with Jenny, Winters, and now her, was almost beyond repair.

As he sat, he let his thoughts wander. And they took him to the past, when the world was big, but the future bright.

-:-:-:-

_ When Jenny, Marie, and himself were in high school, the three were inseparable. He even remembered the one time they all got trashed in Jenny's basement, played truth or dare and he watched the two gals have a heated makeout session that they all thoroughly enjoyed, but the girls didn't remember a thing the next morning. He really loved both of them, beyond friendship, but he was afraid to voice his feelings, terrified they'd leave him in the dust.  _

_ In college, they bonded further, thick as thieves, and that's when Marie pushed him to be with Jenny. The native Texan saw how Jen looked at Nick, and in spite of her own feelings, subtly began to push then together. Nick always saw the longing in those heterochromic eyes. He could never tell if it was the fact that she was alone and a 3rd wheel, if she was secretly pining for him, or both. _

_ Yet, while still loving both women, he went for Jenny anyway.  _

_ When they graduated, they drifted apart a bit, Jenny and Nick working on trying to settle down in a nice apartment in The Fens. The two gals often met up for a few martinis or coffee to catch up over, but it wasn't often that he even saw Marie anymore. Months before the incident, last he'd heard, Marie was in an apartment with a roommate, and was an intern with the DA. Shortly before Jenny was murdered, he was going to talk with his fiancé about adding their best friend into their romance, then things went to complete and utter shit. _

Everything from back then seems so silly now, compared to what has happened. His heart was split in two, and his soul felt like it'd crumbled to pieces.

If only he hadn't have taken the Missing gal case that ended up tracking back to the side piece of Winters' associate, Sal Barsconi, which subsequently crossed the way of the boys in blue, and ended up with Jen in a casket. He got too close, and Winters wanted him to pay.

Well, now he was, and in the worst way possible.

  
  
  
  



End file.
